Information and ICT minister Dr Chris Baryomunsi has assured Ugandans that the government is exploring various options for remedial action to cushion them against the high fuel prices.
This comes as oil prices continue to spiral amid rising transport and food costs likely to fuel inflation ahead of the festive season.
According to Baryomunsi, the problem is global, in an apparent reference to the $20 or Sh 72,000 jump in price per barrel of Brent crude oil on the world market over seven months from April this year.
Baryomunsi adds that energy minister Ruth Nankabirwa is in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, a member of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), to, among other things; engage oil producers for a solution to fast-rising oil prices.
In Uganda, pump prices for a litre of petrol went up by between Shs 100-sh 630 and Sh60-Sh 200 for a litre of diesel, with the highest spike margins reported in Rukungiri and Bushenyi districts.
These districts are about 380 and 320 kilometres from the capital, Kampala, respectively.
Transporters especially Boda Bodas upcountry have in response doubled fares.

AIRTEL ROLLS OUT SHS 1.5 BILLION PROMO
Airtel Mobile Commerce Uganda Limited has launched a countrywide UGX 1.5billion reward based promotion for its customers and agents.
This announcement was made on Monday, November 15 at Kampala Serena Hotel.
The three months’ promotion dubbed Money after Money running from 15th November 2021 to 15th February 2022 will see Airtel Uganda customers and agents across the country transact and win daily, weekly and monthly cash prizes.
While launching the promotion, Airtel Uganda Managing Director Manoj Murali said, “Airtel prides in having the most affordable rates for mobile money, with a secure platform offering our customers convenience as they transact in Uganda and across borders. Amidst the pandemic, we have continued to see our customers transact and this is the time to reward them as we get into the festive season.”
Effective today, 100 customers will win 100,000/- each daily, 20 agents 100,000/- each daily, 10 customers 10 million each monthly and 10 agents 2million each monthly. Over 1.5billion shillings will be awarded over the 90 day promo with a number of instant prizes for any customer found transacting on Airtel Money.
“For us to stay true to our commitment of offering relevant services to our customers for their day to day communication needs, it means that we must continue to innovate and introduce products and services that align with what our customers and the market need,” Manoj concluded.
By dialing *185# or transacting using My Airtel App to carry out any Airtel Money Transactions that is sending money, Cash deposit, Cash withdraw, Mobile Banking, Bill Pay, Airtel Money Pay, International Money Transfer, buying airtime, a customer/agents will stand a chance to enter the draw to win the daily/monthly prizes. Monies will be paid to the customer Airtel Money accounts. The only Airtel number that will call winners is 0200100100.
Daily draws will be held between 8:55-9pm Mon to Thur on NBS, Bukedde, BBS and handover shows on NBS, Bukedde, BBS on Friday 8:55-9pm.

TWO UPDF SOLDIERS SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING SOMALI CIVILIANS
Two UPDF soldiers have been sentenced to death by the General Court Martial sitting in Mogadishu for killing innocent civilians in Somalia.
In an incident that happened last month, bodies of seven civilians were discovered after a heavy exchange of gunfire between the AMISOM forces and Al Shabaab militant along the Beldamin-Golweyn Forward Operating Base in the Lower Shabelle region.
The exchange of gunfire followed an ambush by Al Shabaab militants as AMISOM soldiers patrolled the area.
An investigating team constituted by AMISOM recently found out that the soldiers operating in the Golweyn area in the Lower Shabelle region in Southern Somalia, about 110km south of Mogadishu, had on August 10 killed innocent civilians.
Consequently, Ugandans authorities were asked to the Ugandan government to punish the implicated soldiers has since promised
The Nile Post has learnt that the General Court Martial chaired by Lt Gen Andrew Gutti earlier this month moved to Somalia where they held the trial of the UPDF soldiers implicated in the shooting.
According to the state-owned Radio Mogadishu, the army court handed a death sentence to two officers.
“Two of the accused soldiers, who are from Uganda, have been sentenced to death, while the other three each got 39 years in prison,” Radio Mogadishu reported on Friday evening
The state-owned radio revealed that of the five tried and convicted, two officers who were sentenced to death included a captain and his deputy.
Radio Mogadishu further noted that the Somali Justice Minister, Abdikadir Mohamed has confirmed that three other soldiers had been sentenced to 39 years imprisonment after finding them guilty of killing seven innocent Somali civilians in Golweyn village.
According to many, the tough punishment is meant to send a warning to other officers to avoid being tempted to behave contrary to the AMISOM rules of engagement.
The UPDF has on several occasions given tough punishments to officers convicted of behaving contrary to its code of conduct and rules of engagement.
The army leadership has in the past insisted that whereas some officers have misbehaved, their acts are judged on an individual basis and don’t represent the values of the UPDF.

The Police in Kampala have revealed that they have finally arrested 5 suspected members of a machete – wielding gang who were captured on CCTV inside the compound of a home in Nabweru – Nansana, Wakiso district after a two months search.

Kampala Metropolitan Deputy Police Spokesperson Luke Owoyesigyire, told journalists on Wednesday that they retrieved the footage, adding that Crime Intelligence team has been tracking the suspects until Tuesday night, when they apprehended some of them in Kawempe, Nansana and Kasubi areas.

Owoyesigyire identified those arrested as Jamada Ngobi, and his colleague Henry Mpima, who then confessed to being part of the group that raided the home in Nabweru municipality and when interrogated, they revealed the identities of their colleagues leading to the arrest of three other people while others are still at large.

Police identified the other suspects as Brian Owuma, Vincent Sserungonji, Joel Kawesi and Ben Ninsima, who were picked up from Kasubi and Nansana by Crime Intelligence teams. Owoyesigyire said that they have since established that this is a large group that has been moving at night with machetes breaking into houses and terrorizing people stressing that they are still hunting for the remaining gang members who are on the run.

According to police records, the same gang group participated in other robberies in Wamala zone, Nansana on May 18th, 2021 where they raped one of the victims and one of the gang members was on July 13th, 2021 killed by a mob in another foiled robbery in Kyebando, Kawempe division.

COURT SUMMONS ARCHBISHOP KAZIIMBA OVER ELECTION OF BISHOP
The High Court in Gulu has summoned, Church of Uganda Archbishop, Rt Rev Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu, and four others following a suit filed over the election of Rev Godfrey Luwum as bishop of Northern Uganda Diocese.
Among the summoned are Rev Luwum, and Mr Francis Gimara, the Province of the Church of Uganda, and the Diocese of Northern Uganda.
Mr Gimara is the diocesan chancellor and chairperson of the Nomination Committee for the Northern Uganda Diocese.
While court had asked the summoned parties to file their defences, only Mr Gimara and Rev Luwum had done so by last Friday.
On October 19, Mr Tom Mboya Okecho and Mr Emmanuel Omwony, both lay leaders of the Diocese of Northern Uganda, filed a lawsuit citing several irregularities in the election of the bishop.
In their suit, the duo want court to, among others, declare the manner and process in which Rev Luwum was selected for appointment as a bishop, in violation of the Church of Uganda Constitution and Provincial Canon.
“A declaration that the Bishop’s Nomination Committee chaired by Mr Gimara was illegal and unconstitutional and a declaration that the failure of the Church and Bishop Kaziimba to cancel and nullify the illegal appointment of Rev Luwum amounted to breach of duty,” the lawsuit reads in part.
The duo also want the court to issue an order directing the Church of Uganda, Diocese of Northern Uganda and Bishop Kaziimba to cause the appointment of an appropriate and legally constituted Nominations Committee for the selection of the next bishop.
The applicants in the lawsuit now want the court to declare Rev Luwum’s election as null and void on account that the Diocese of Northern Uganda didn’t have a duly and properly constituted Nomination Committee.
In their suit, the applicants contend that Mr Gimara acted illegally to preside over the diocesan nomination exercise of July 10 while aware that his term of office had expired in 2009 and that he had not been reappointed by the Diocesan Council as the Diocesan Chancellor.
The appointments of Mr Moses Cik and Rev George Ludwero to sit on the Nominations Committee during the nomination process are also questioned.
Mr Cik, staff at the Ministry of Ethics and Integrity, is said to have been absorbed into the committee without undergoing a selection process while Rev Ludwero is reportedly serving an indefinite suspension from the Church ministry due to adultery and infidelity.
Issue
On July 12, a petition pointing out alleged irregularities in the nomination process signed by Mr Mboya was sent to Archbishop Kaziimba.
However, Church of Uganda House of Bishops disregarded the petition and went ahead to declare Rev Luwum as the bishop-elect of the Diocese of Northern Uganda on August 12.
Rev Luwum is set to be consecrated and enthroned on November 21.

MP WANTS EVERY PRIVATE SCHOOL TO BE GIVEN SHS.100M BEFORE RE-OPENING
Legislators argue that the two year closure of these institutions due to the Covid-19 pandemic has crippled private institutions’ ability to continue in service delivery, a reason government must come in with a rescue plan.
“We are saying give each private school Shs100 million to be able to start, to paint, to clean the school and also prepare,” said Hon Michael Mawanda (NRM, Igara East). He added that, ‘some schools have lost property yet their main source of income is school fees from parents who have also been affected by the pandemic’.
He guided that the offer should be made to private schools that meet certain criteria set by government.
Mawanda explained that it will be hard for most private education institutions to mobilise funds and pay staff arrears, renovate the dilapidated structures and be able to provide education services.
“Mobilising money to start in this short time is not easy because even banks are reluctant to lend schools money because they are not sure whether schools will be able to pay,” he said.
He called on government to also support the schools in offsetting salary loans obtained by teachers who have failed to meet their obligations.
“Schools guarantee loans for their workers; these are salary loans and workers have not been working. The banks have recalled the guarantees and it is the schools to pay these loans,” he said.
Mawanda said this while appearing before the Committee on Education and Sports on Tuesday, 09 November 2021. He was accompanied by Kyankwazi Woman MP, Hon Christine Sendawula and Mityana North MP, Hon Muhamad Nsegumire. The three moved a motion urging government to provide a recovery package for private education institutions.
They clarified that private education institutions are not seeking for free money, but a loan that would either be refunded in a long run when schools have stabilised or at interest free.
They also proposed tax incentives to private schools where government would waiver the payments or have them staggered for a period.
“Government can say you have been paying income tax but in the next three years do not pay; they can either waive the payment or stagger the payment to assist these schools jump start,” Mawanda added.
The Committee Vice-chairperson, Hon Cuthbert Abigaba re-echoed the need for government to ‘rescue’ private institutions, but wondered if the parents and learners would benefit from the incentives.
“We know the schools are struggling but how do the rest of the stakeholders benefit from these incentives? How does the parent expect to benefit from this incentive because the pandemic has also hit parents?’ asked Abigaba.
Hon Sendawula said the ultimate beneficiary for the incentives are students, recognising that private institutions consume the majority of the educational needs in the country.
MPs want school fees to be reduced both in government and private schools as a move to assist parents who lost jobs and businesses due to the Covid-19 lock down.

The degazetting of the forest reserve will pave way for the development and expansion of Gulu University. This followed a presentation of a report from the Committee on Education which had been tasked to study a motion moved by Bardege-Layibi Division MP, Hon Martin Mapenduzi.
Mapenduzi in his motion moved last month sought to have the Minister for Water and Environment implement a presidential directive to degazette the forest.
On 03 April 2020, President Yoweri Museveni directed then Prime Minister Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda to degazette the land and avail it to Gulu University for its expansion.
While presenting the, the Chairperson of the Committee, Hon John Twesige Ntamuhira said Gulu University needs to build key infrastructure on the 70 acres of the forest reserve. The facilities include the Faculty of Medicine and of Agriculture and Environment, research laboratories and a hostel.
“The Minister of Water and Environment should be given a timeframe within which to present to Parliament, an amendment to the Statutory Order declaring the central forest reserve, degazetting the 70 acres in accordance with section 8 of the National Forestry and Tree Planting Act, 2003,” he said.
He revealed that the University has acquired 500 acres of land in Nwoya district as alternative land for the establishment of a new forest reserve. He however, said the land is on a leasehold tenure of 49 years.
“The Committee was informed by Gulu University that it is in the process of having all the legal requirements expeditiously worked out to facilitate the process of issuing an amendment to the Statutory Order declaring Gulu Central Forest reserve by the Minister,” Ntamuhira said.
He added that Nwoya District Land Board told the committee that they are willing to support Gulu University to have the leasehold certificate of title comprising the 500 acres converted to freehold tenure to enable National Forestry Authority (NFA) own the land in perpetuity.
“The committee recommends that Gulu University fast-tracks other requirements precedent to degazettement like carrying out an environmental impact assessment to facilitate expeditious handling of the degazettement process.” added.
While moving the motion to degazette the forest reserve, Mapenduzi said Gulu University faces a challenge of lack of land on which to expand since it is located near Gulu Central Forest reserve that sits on 243 acres.
Deputy Speaker, Anita Among directed the Minister to present before the House a status report and subsequent motion for degazettement of the forest reserve.